WineNZ Summer 2019-20

Feature | Right Royal Wines
Vines on the slope below Gutenberg Castle, where wine had been produced since the Middle Ages.
Smarter tourists try the country’s
wines, something they are unlikely
to get at home, as Liechtenstein’s
100 growers sell locally almost all
their output – about 80 tonnes
from around 30ha in vines. A
tiny quantity of wine does go to
Switzerland so you may be lucky
to get a sip in Zurich.
On its western border with
Switzerland, Liechtenstein has a
small chunk of the Rhine Valley.
Sloping southwest, the area is
blessed with good soils; 1500
hours of sunshine a year and
the hot, dry föhn winds that help
sweeten the grapes.
Viniculture started here about
2000 years ago and when the
Romans rolled through, they
upped production, although
the industry fell over when the
Romans were driven out.
The Christians took over, with
many monasteries having their
own vineyards. By the Middle
Ages, when Charlemagne (742-
814 A.D) united much of Europe,
Liechtenstein’s Gutenberg Castle
had a significant winemaking
industry.
Charlemagne’s edict that wine
pressers should wash their feet
76 WineNZ Magazine | Summer 2019/2020